Adventures in Grandparenting

What? You don’t’ keep your tomatoes in protective custody? Well…mine are on lock down. That is because of the #@$!#* deer!!!

I don’t live in the country and my house doesn’t border the forest, I actually live by the beach. So where do the deer come from? I suspect they swim across from a tiny island a mile or so from land. It is supposedly home to some of Billy the Kids buried treasure. To add to the bury treasure intrigue, low tide exposes a sandbar, for short periods of time, allowing access to the island by foot. If deer can’t swim, then that must be how they get across – the land bridge!

My family rolls their eyes at my theory. Yet, last month I visited Fire Island, NY which is surrounded by the ocean. There are signs posted, in the sand dunes, with a warning, DO NOT FEED THE DEER! Ha…maybe my theory isn’t so crazy after all – beach deer do exist.

I guess it doesn’t matter how they get into my yard, they do. They wait until the tomatoes are just ripe enough (when you think, ‘tomorrow I will pick it for my sandwich’), they remove the fruit and the branches they are attached to. Basically, destroying my dreams of a bacon, lettuce and tomato and the possibility of the plant producing more tomatoes. This inspired my husband to create the jailed tomato fix. He built a cage around our tomato garden, when the plants get taller we put screens on top to keep them from getting munched.

Our system works pretty well. Once in a while an unsuspecting tomato plant wants to stretch its branches beyond the border, which is a mistake, it will be gone by the next morning. Last year I discovered that deer must not like onions. My scientific evidence? The tomato plants with onions bordering them did not get touched. So this year I increased the onion protection patrol and planted two bags around the tomato plant parameters. I didn’t mess with onion seeds, I used bulbs so they would come up faster.

I take guarding my tomatoes seriously. Hopefully, my efforts will be fruitful! 😉

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16 Comments

I have our tomatoes in pots on my deck in wire cages. Like you I want those tomatoes. There are deer in out neck of the woods but have never seen one in our yard. Hope I don’t ever. I love to see deer but not after my tomatoes.

We have a lot of deer, but our house borders the woods. They destroy so much of my landscaping. I get soooo mad! They destroy any garden I have tried. They do not bother my herbs so I do grow those on the deck. I did not imagine there were deer near the beach. Good luck…haha

I love my garden tomatoes too! Nothing better than a BLT with a home grown tomato. I don’t have issues with deer, by problem is groundhogs. I had no idea that you could have deer problems near the beach. I learn something new every year.

Last year we had foxes that ate many of my green tomatoes, making me very sad. My husband then built a security system much like the one your husband built, and that helped. The foxes haven’t been around now for over a month, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

We’ve given up on chilli plants because the birds eat them! Every time our orange tree gets babies on it something attacks it – possums I think – but our mandarin tree is fine and full of fruit. I think the possums like our tomatoes too as they are munched on if we’re not quick enough to pick them. I’m going to try the onion trick next season. And put them in jail. 🙂

So funny… but not really. I love the fix. That was very smart. I guess deer are smart too. I live in a place where deer roam free too, but we are in the mountains. Home Depot sells several supposedly deer resistant plants – ones deer don’t generally eat.